Meloidogyne incognita: molecular cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding a cathepsin D-like aspartic proteinase.
Herein we describe the cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding an aspartic proteinase from the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Using PCR techniques, a 1471-bp cDNA fragment encoding a cathepsin D-like (Mi-asp1) transcript was isolated from second-stage larvae mRNA. Its predicted amino acid sequence comprises a pro-region of 71 amino acid residues and a mature protease of 378 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 41.502kDa. Protein sequence comparisons of Mi-asp1 with GenBank (DQ360827) sequences showed 59-71% identity with nematode-specific cathepsin D-like aspartic proteinases. Southern blot analysis, RT-PCR amplification and EST mining suggest the existence of a developmentally expressed gene family encoding aspartic proteinases in M. incognita. Mi-asp1 may represent a potential target for molecular intervention for the purposes of plant-parasitic nematode control.
Fragoso
Rodrigo da Rocha
RR
Embrapa, Cerrados, Planaltina, DF, Brazil.
Lourenço
Isabela Tristan
IT
Batista
João Aguiar Nogueira
JA
Oliveira-Neto
Osmundo Brilhante
OB
Silva
Maria Cristina Mattar
MC
Rocha
Thales Lima
TL
Coutinho
Marise Ventura
MV
Grossi-de-Sa
Maria Fátima
MF
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry*; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry*; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010063:Ovum / Q000201:enzymology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000469:parasitology; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases